Testing Reality
by GabeClarkie
Summary: Bella works at a hospital for the mentally ill as an alternative to jail, her new patient, Edward, believes he is a vampire, and he is very forward with his feelings about her, how will Bella respond to the situation? All human, will have dark themes, M for safety
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot**

Bella brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She let out a heavy sigh as her weary eyes reviewed the information on her computer screen once more.

"Knock, knock," came a melodious voice from her doorway.

Bella looked up from her work and her look of concentration softened.

"Hey, Alice," she responded, giving her coworker a half smile, "Thanks again for doing that intake for me, how did it go?"

"Oh you know, the usual. He's delusional, believes that he's a vampire. He insisted that he must be released soon or the blood lust will take over and he will kill everyone. Unfortunately all that did was place him on 15 minute watch for the time being," the shorter woman responded, uncrossing her arms and leaning in towards her friend, "You look exhausted Bella, you've been working too hard. You need to get out of here and have some fun."

Bella disregarded her last comment, "And his history? Any priors?"

Alice pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, "Why am I not surprised you're not listening to me?" she paused for a moment and weighed her options, "Since I know you're going to go through his file and go see him before you go home today I'll just tell you. It will save you time. No priors, but we don't have the best history. Not sure about his biological father, but he's not currently in the picture regardless. Bio- mother died when he was seventeen and he was adopted by one of the volunteers of the hospital where she died, Esme Platt. Mom had cystic fibrosis and had been in and out of the hospital a lot for Edward's whole life. Esme was mostly familiar with them from that and just what'd she'd seen of them around town. No other family that she's aware of."

"Other than the vampire delusions how is he presenting?"

"Oh pretty good. He's clean which is always a plus. Very pleasant, seems pretty smart too."

"Any trauma history that we're aware of?"

"That is tricky," Alice answered, "Since we don't have the best history, it's hard to really say, but he was definitely taking care of his mother. I'm guessing that was going on for close to ten years before she passed. Also like I said, I don't have much history regarding his father, Esme wasn't sure and all we got out of Edward was that he's not around. He was pretty guarded about that topic. So there's always potential for abuse, but other than that no clear trauma. He was in med school actually, and working part time, so I can only imagine the kind of stress that he was under."

"So what I remember from the brief referral sheet we got, he's was charged with attacking people in the community, and this was a first time offense right?" Bella confirmed.

"That's right," Alice nodded, "And he didn't know the people he was attacking either. He reports that he was just trying to drink their blood to survive."

"Right, the whole vampire thing. Did we manage to get him into a single or is he rooming with someone?"

"When Dr. Cullen heard about the 'I'm going to kill all of you to fulfill my blood lust' he insisted that Edward get a single for the time being. We were going to put him in with Emmet, but instead they moved Jasper in with him and Edward got Jasper's room."

Bella snorted, "Jasper is going to go nuts trying to deal with Emmet pining away for Rosalie. But it will be good for him to be around more people."

Alice nodded, "I know you're going to go meet Edward before you leave, but we seriously need to go out tonight. You've been overworking yourself. I know it's hard since we're short staffed, but you seriously need a break."

Bella let out a huff, blowing at the hairs that had fallen on her forehead, "I know you're right. But something low key, no trying to set me up with some drunk at the bar tonight"

"Agreed," Alice beamed, "I'm just glad it didn't take more coaxing to get you to come out. So I'm going to go and finish writing my notes for the day before you can change your mind."

Alice waved over her shoulder at Bella as she made her way down the hallway to her own office. Bella looked once more at her computer screen and closed out her email. 'I can get to that tomorrow. Alice is right I need a break,' she thought to herself. She made a brief To-Do list for herself on a post-it note and stuck in on her desk calendar.

"Alright, I'm just going to briefly meet Edward, write up a quick note about him if I have to and then I'm good for today," she assured herself as she stood up from her desk, smoothing down the cream colored sweater she was wearing over her brown pencil skirt.

Leaving the light and the door of her office open, as she always did, Bella made her way down the hallway to the locked unit. She fumbled with the keys on her lanyard for a moment until she got the right one, opened the door and slipped inside, ensuring that it wouldn't slam behind her.

As she walked by the nurse's station she heard a friendly voice call out, "Bella you're still here? Go home girl, it's late!"

She stopped in her tracks for a moment and smiled at the blonde nurse, "Still here Angie. Almost done, just dropping by to say hi to our new Mr. Edward before I leave for the day."

Angela returned the smile and nodded knowingly, "Alice did say that you would be the head of his case and that she was just doing the intake while you were in a meeting. Don't stay too long, I know how you tend to overwork yourself."

Bella shook her head, "I'll be gone before you know it."

"You best be," Angela said in retort, "Or I'll call Dr. Cullen down here. You know he isn't above escorting you out of here personally."

"Pfft if Carlise really wanted me to take it easy, he'd hire another therapist to help me out here!" Bella laughed, "Is he in his room?"

"Last I saw him, yeah," said Angela, "Jake will be down in a few for his 15 minute check too."

"Great. Thanks Angela," Bella said, the sincerity evident in her voice, "I appreciate the check in. If I don't see you, don't work too hard tonight!"

Angela only laughed in response, "I'm not sure I know the meaning of the word. Well phrase."

"I hear that," Bella said as she continued down the hallway.

When she approached one of the doors on the left, towards the end of the hallway, she paused for a moment to compose herself, taking a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Edward?" she called in a slow cadence as she opened up the door and peaked in.

A tall slender man was standing at the window, his arms held behind his back, with near perfect posture. The only light in the room was from the desk lamp on his nightstand and the light of dusk coming in from outside. He was wearing dark jeans and a maroon sweater. His hair looked auburn in this light, and it's tousled appearance seemed intentional and not out of negligence.

'He does seem clean. Alice was right. I'm impressed,' Bella thought to herself before speaking aloud, "Edward?" she questioned again, "I'm going to turn on the light, if you don't mind. It's a bit dim in here."

He turned and looked at her but didn't respond otherwise. Her hand flicked the light switch and the florescent bulb overhead hummed to life. He blinked slowly a couple times as if adjusting to the new brightness, but didn't respond otherwise.

Bella took a few steps closer to him, "Edward, my name is Bella. I'm going to be working with you while you're here. I just wanted to introduce myself since I was in a meeting this afternoon and couldn't come to your intake interview."

"Hello Bella," Edward said calmly, "But please don't come any closer, you smell delicious and I don't want to hurt you."

"Alright," Bella said calmly, stopping where she was, "I'll stay here, but why do you think you would hurt me?"

"You just smell so good," he repeated taking in a deep breath, "And I'm having a hard time controlling myself. I don't like hurting people, but I need to feed."

"Well I'm glad that you've been able to control yourself, and that you're controlling yourself now," Bella said, "And it is almost dinner time, so you'll get a chance to eat then. Hopefully they serve something that you like, I'm not sure what's on the menu for today."

Edward laughed, "I appreciate your kindness Bella. But it's so much more than that?"

"Oh yeah?" she responded inquisitively, "What more is there?"

"I want you Bella," he responded as if he were stating the most obvious fact in the world.

"You want me?" she questioned again, pushing him for more information.

"Oh yes, I want you." He said, taking one step closer to her. He had a longer stride than she did and they were now less than a foot apart.

"Not only do I want to drink you Bella, I want to fuck you too."


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot**

"He said he wanted to fuck you?" Alice asked in shock, "What did you do?"

"I told him that was inappropriate, and that saying things like that would get him in trouble here. He apologized and then said that he had been raised to tell the truth, and I thanked him for his apology, told him that being honest was a good thing but that he needed to be aware that not all thoughts needed to be shared, and that he needed to be more aware of what he was saying in front of people," Bella said with a shrug, "You know how some of the patients get."

"That's it?" Alice pushed, "He was very polite when I spoke to him, if he's that good at putting on a face then he might be more dangerous."

"Well he thanked me, then asked me to leave because he said I was driving him crazy, I said okay, that I was glad I got to meet him and that if he needed anything just to let me know. Of course I told Angela and Jake about it, and noted it in his chart. Honestly, it's something that we definitely need to keep an eye on, I agree, but I almost feel like he was trying to push me, to test my response. It's not like this is the first time that one of the patients has said anything inappropriate."

"Hmmm maybe. But if he keeps it up we may have to change his safety plan to make sure there's always a male staff nearby to intervene if necessary."

"That's a good plan. We'll see how tomorrow goes. Now I thought you said something about going out for drinks?" Bella teased, "I honestly could use a glass of wine today."

"That sounds perfect. You want to go get dinner at that Italian place on Main Street and have some wine and relax?" Alice offered, "Nice and low-key just like you wanted."

"That sounds perfect," Bella smiled and pulled on her coat.

Feeling much more relaxed after dinner, Bella went home to take a bubble bath to round out her relaxing evening. For a Thursday night this was pure bliss, and she was able to fall soundly asleep. When the morning came however, it was a whole nother story. Bella felt groggy, tired, and sore as if she hadn't slept at all. She also had a lingering feeling that she had a nightmare, and that it was somehow related to Edward. Trying her best to shake it off, she started her morning routine. She turned on the coffee maker, today was going to be at least a three cup day, and began her morning yoga as it brewed. Yoga was something that Bella tried to do every morning, it helped her wake up and clear her mind so that she could focus on her day. Today was different, although her body felt more at ease, she still had an uneasy feeling in the back of her mind, that was still related to Edward. She continued about her day, ignoring the feeling as best she could, pouring herself coffee, putting on the news, and eating her oatmeal before getting herself ready for work. Bella brushed through her silken hair, and checked herself out in the mirror. She frowned at her appearance, and decided that although she rarely wore make-up, today she would need to, as her stress and exhaustion were clearly evident on her face. She left her hair down, deciding that it helped her look more refreshed than it did in her typical bun. Bella finished her coffee when she was done dressing and poured more in a travel mug. She got her lunch out of the fridge, and checked herself in her hallway mirror one last time before locking the door behind her and heading to her car.

Lauren, one of the nurses Bella did not care for, was in the morning meeting. When Bella inquired about Edward's behavior that night Lauren looked confused. Bella internally rolled her eyes, knowing that the blonde women clearly had not read the charts before coming to the meeting.

"Well on top of his fifteen minute required checks and yesterday being his first day, he made some sexually charged statements to me yesterday and I wanted to make sure he wasn't making anymore inappropriate comments to any of the other females," Bella explained.

"He made sexually charged statements to you?" Lauren questioned, a hint of something that seemed to be a mixture of shock, disgust, and possibly jealousy in her voice, "Well I didn't see anything in his overnight notes like that. In fact his behavior was fine. I talked to him this morning too, and he seems totally fine to me, I don't even know why he's here really."

Bella looked at Alice in exasperation, and Alice gave her a clear 'I told you so' look in return, but also supported her friend answered the question for her.

"He's here because he attacked people, and has strong delusions that he's a vampire. And yes, we are concerned about further sexually inappropriate behavior from him, so despite his charms, be aware that he may very well be a predator and we're unaware. We were unable to get a very good history during his intake."

Lauren opened her mouth to respond but Bella spoke first, "So has he been eating? I want to make sure that this vampire delusion isn't affecting his health."

"Ummm," Lauren said as she flipped through the notes in front of her, "Yes, he only ate the chicken that was served last night and requested that his meat not be cooked in the future, which he was obviously told can't happen. At breakfast he ate an egg, and refused all other food."

Bella scrawled some note on the notepad in front of her, "Two follow ups, how did he respond to being told that he could not have uncooked meat? And how is his fluid intake? We don't want him getting dehydrated."

Lauren stuttered again, looking through the notes before responding, "There's nothing written about his response, so I'm assuming there was no issue. Also no note on fluid intake, but I will make a note that we should track it."

"Excellent," said Dr. Cullen, "I'm glad the situation is being addressed, however it is important to be reviewing notes on all patients when you begin your shift as their behavior can be erratic despite how they may be presenting to you. Now how are Jasper and Emmett adjusting to the room change?"

After the morning meeting, Dr. Cullen approached Bella, "I expect that Edward will be a challenging case. Can you check in with him again today and let me know what happens? He is so new on medications that I want to keep a closer eye on him for a while to make sure that he will end up on his therapeutic dose."

"I absolutely will, Carlise," said Bella, "Alice and I are preparing to adjust his safety plan as needed. We're concerned about his ability to manipulate."

"We're so fortunate to have you two on staff. Now if only we could find some more dedicated therapists like the two of you. I know you've been so overworked lately, and I really appreciate your dedication," he said, flashing Bella a smile, "After all, I don't let all the staff call me Carlise."

Bella and Alice went on their morning rounds, greeting all of the patients and doing a brief check-in

"Bella, I'm being so serious right now," said Rosalie, flipping her platinum blonde locks over her shoulder "I love Emmet, but I just can't marry him."

"Rose, do we need to review our boundaries again? It is good for you and Emmet to be friends, but romance between patients isn't permitted. So I'm going to agree, you definitely can't marry him. In fact, maybe you guys should take a little break and spend some time with some of the other people you like."

"Okay, well patients can't have romantic relationships together, but can patients and staff? Because I don't think I want to stay away from Emmet for too long, because I don't like how close he is with Alice. She's always talking to him, and sometime he smiles when he sees her, and I've seen them laughing together."

"So no, relationships between patients and staff aren't acceptable either, so you don't need to worry about that. But really, I think we need to look at this jealousy a little bit. You need to remember that Emmet is his own person and he can be around other people, just like you can. And just in case you forgot, Alice is his therapist, just like I'm yours."

Rose pouted, "I'm not saying he can't be around other people, but I guess I am jealous. You don't think she likes him? I mean she does laugh at his jokes, and smiles at him"

"So again, this is not something you need to worry about, but remember how we talked about questioning yourself to see if what you're getting upset about it something that's worth getting upset about? This is a great time to do that. Does Alice smile at other people? And do other people laugh at Emmet's jokes?"

Rose paused for a moment and sighed, "You know Bella sometimes you're too smart. And sometimes I don't like you."

"Well that's okay, you don't have to like me all the time. In fact I don't think you liked me at all when you first got here. But we got through it and I'm sure we'll get through whatever comes up again. Now please try and spend some time with someone who's not Emmet. Just like he's his own person, you are your own person. Maybe spend some time with Leah. Or maybe Edward. He's new, I'm sure he could use some friends"

As Bella continued to check in with patients, she looked around for Edward, who she didn't see, but too soon it was time for lunch and she had yet to get to his room.

"I don't know how many times I've told Emmet he needs to respect boundaries, but I swear every time is like the first time for him," Alice sighed as she pulled her hummus and roasted vegetables out of the fridge.

"Preaching to the choir sister," Bella said in between bites of her Caesar salad, "Same talk with Rose this morning. Also she's jealous of you. She thinks that you're going to steal Emmet away from her. Which I guess is a step in the right direction because at least that makes slightly more logical sense than when she thought I was the president and she was my bodyguard."

Alice laughed, "Oh I remembered that. She tried to tell me I didn't have clearance to be in the same room as you. It's a never ending adventure here isn't it?"

"Sure is. Have you seen my vampire this morning? I didn't see him in the halls at all," Bella questioned.

"Was he in his room?" asked Alice, "I can't say that I saw him either."

Bella frowned, "I didn't get down to him yet. People were chatty this morning."

"Well then I would assume he's still in there. If he really believes he's a vampire then he probably thinks that he needs to sleep during the day," Alice suggested.

"Oh that's a good point," Bella said with more enthusiasm, "I hadn't even thought of that. He'll be my first stop after lunch"

"I know we probably don't need to worry, but can you make sure that Seth knows you're going in there when you go? I want to make sure you stay safe," Alice said, "Plus if something does happen and you have to go on leave then I'll be stuck with all of the patients and I really can't handle that."

Bella smiled and nodded in agreement, "I will do what I can Alice. I won't put you through that. Now enough of work, we're on break right? Aren't we supposed to be gossiping about the men in our lives or something?"

"What men?" Alice laughed, "I'm pretty sure you're just talking about my shower head"

"Alice!" Bella said, a blush coming across her face, "I'm trying to eat my lunch here"

"Isabella Swan, a delusional man can tell you that he wants to fuck you and you're cool as a cucumber, but I make a joke about my lack of sex life and you turn into a tomato? It's not like we're some high schoolers anymore."

"I was just caught off guard is all," mumbled Bella into her fork.

After she finished lunch, Bella headed into the unit, and spotted Seth further down the hallway. She gently touched his shoulder to get his attention and let her know where she was headed.

"No problem Bells," he said with a smile, "I'm going to be headed down there for another check in a few anyway, but if you need anything before that just give me a shout"

Bella approached Edward's door and knocked, "Edward?"

He responded with, "Come in" as she was opening the door.

Edward was lying on his bed, on top of his covers, wearing the same clothes he had on the night before. His eyes were open but he was just staring at the ceiling.

"How are you today Edward?" Bella questioned, approaching the bed but still providing him with his space.

"I suppose I'm fine. It's exceptionally boring here," he said, his eyes never waiving.

"Well have you spent much time out of your room?" she questioned, pulling over a chair from the corner and positioning it at the end of his bed so that if he were to sit up they would be facing each other.

"Not particularly," he responded, "They made me eat in the dining room"

"That's the only times you've been out of your room?" she pressed.

"Yes," he responded, tilting his head slightly so that he could see her as he continued to speak, "I up until now have had no reason to be more engaging. Nothing has caught my interest."

"But you're interested in talking to me?" Bella questioned, trying to get him more engaged.

"I suppose I am," he said, putting his head back down on his pillow, "But I also suppose you are going to ask me a series of uninteresting questions as dictated by your job and encourage me to not spend all of my time in my room"

"Well you are partially correct there," Bella conceded, "I am going to encourage you to spend more time out of your room. But you were incorrect about the first part. I will be happy to talk about whatever you'd like to talk about. Granted at times I will have to have some less interesting check in questions, that is, as you said, part of my job."

Edward sat up, and swung his legs over the side of the bed and appraised Bella inquisitively.

"Well continuing to speak to you without looking at you would be rude, regardless of the conversation topic," he said after a moment.

"Well I agree, it is less rude for you to be looking at me, but I want you to be comfortable, so if you want to lie down, that is fine with me."

"Bella, I want to kill you. You know that right?" he questioned, just as Seth knocked on the door and walked into the room, "So I don't know why you're so concerned about my comfort"

Seth looked ready for action and looked over at Bella who gave him a nod and continued to speak, "Edward, I want to talk about this further, but you do realize that these comments are unsafe right? Would it be okay if we kept the door open and Seth sat in the doorway?"

"Well I'm glad you're finally talking sense. Of course it's unsafe, I just said I want to kill you. I understand your need for safety, although I'm not sure that Seth would be able to do much if I decided to act on it"

"So Seth, would you mind sitting in the doorway while we talk? Safety is important but so is privacy," Bella questioned.

Seth was clearly still prepared for action, "Um maybe I should stay standing in the room, wouldn't that be more safe?"

"I don't think there's a need for all of that," Bella was dismissive, "I think being in the doorway will be sufficient enough. Edward you don't want to act on your feelings currently right?"

"No, I don't want to hurt anyone, which is precisely why I need to get out of here," he responded, staring intently between the two in the room.

Seth looked again at Bella, making sure she was aware of his discomfort.

"Well I have the utmost faith in both of you gentlemen, so Seth, the chair then," she said to his dismay, but he grudgingly accepted and walked out into the hall and moment later reappeared with chair in the doorway.

"So now Edward, let's continue this conversation. Why is it that you want to kill me?" Bella prompted.

"As I told you last night, you smell delicious. I am a vampire, I want to drink your blood."

"So your desire to kill me has nothing to do with wishing harm on me?"

"No. It is purely a primal need."

"Well I appreciate that. Now I'm under the impression that you don't want me to be asking you a ton of questions. Unless I'm wrong, in which case I would like you to correct me, this will be my last question for now. Since I would like to get to know you so that we can build our relationship, what would you like to talk about?"


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot**

 _Previously….._

 _"_ _So now Edward, let's continue this conversation. Why is it that you want to kill me?" Bella prompted._

 _"_ _As I told you last night, you smell delicious. I am a vampire, I want to drink your blood."_

 _"_ _So your desire to kill me has nothing to do with wishing harm on me?"_

 _"_ _No. It is purely a primal need."_

 _"_ _Well I appreciate that. Now I'm under the impression that you don't want me to be asking you a ton of questions. Unless I'm wrong, in which case I would like you to correct me, this will be my last question for now. Since I would like to get to know you so that we can build our relationship, what would you like to talk about?"_

Edward sat in silence for a few moments. He ran his hands through his hair, it had a coppery sheen to it today. He looked down between his legs at the tile floor briefly, and then looked up, intensely staring at Bella. She pulled her black cardigan closer against her feeling a bit uncomfortable at his unblinking gaze. There was something off about him, something that was different from her other patients, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Well I suppose," he said breaking the silence, "I would like to know what there is to do in this terrible place. If I must rot here, I might as well do what I can to enjoy myself before I go."

"I sincerely doubt that you will rot here," Bella began, "That being said, it does make it easier if you have something to occupy your time. We have lots of potential activities. We have several groups throughout the day, some social some more therapeutically based. We also have a small library, a music room, a computer room, and an art room, as well a few games. Granted some of those things you need a certain level of privilege to use. Privilege of course comes from participating in treatment and following the rules."

"Groups?" Edward questioned uncertainly.

"Oh yes, they're usually about forty-five minutes, but you can kind of come and go as you please. Although to get credit for attendance and participation you typically have to stay for the whole thing. There's a whiteboard in the hallway that has a list of the groups with times and who's hosting them. It gets updated every morning."

"Oh. Is there a requirement for how many groups I have to attend?"

"No, not per say. We're happy if you do a few activities outside of your room each day, but not set rules for what you have to do. Although you have lost a fair amount of your freedom you do get to make decisions for yourself and what you would like to do with your time."

"I see. And attending these groups will allow me more access to more options?"

"That is correct. Anything in particular you're interested in?"

"That's another question," Edward observed.

"You're quite right," Bella agreed, "I apologize."

"It's fine," he said with a wave of his hand, "Only natural to have interest I suppose. I enjoy reading. And I play the piano."

"Well the library you can get in at just about any time, as long as staff is in the area the room is open for use. The music room however is an earned privilege."

"That seems reasonable enough. I also enjoy playing chess."

"We do have a chessboard, and chess pieces. I know that Jasper plays chess as well, but I'm not sure what other patients do. You may have to rely more on the staff for that one."

"Do you play?" he asked, coyly.

"I do. And I would be happy to play with you sometime," Bella said with a half smile.

"And I can talk to you about anything?" Edward asked with some hesitation.

"That's right, we can talk about anything you'd like," Bella confirmed.

"Very well," Edward look contemplative, "I will assure you that I will do my best not to kill you, although the smell of your blood is very tempting. Although I know it's part of your job to try and make sure that I'm comfortable, I still appreciate the effort, and I will do my best to do the same for you."

"Well I'm very happy to hear that Edward. And I do hope we can talk more about your belief that you are a vampire."

"Oh, I know you don't believe me. No one believes me."

"Can you tell me more about that?"

"I don't much feel like answering your questions right now," he said shortly, staring intently at her again.

"Fair enough," said Bella, "Well if you would like to talk more later, just let me know"

"I will," he said as she got up and started to make her way out the room, "Oh and Bella?"

She stopped and turned to look at him over her shoulder, "Hmm?"

"Remember what I said last night. I still want you," he said before lying back down in his former position on his bed.

Bella said nothing in response and continued out the door. Seth moved out of the way and just gave her a concerned look. She gave him a one shoulder shrug and shook her head. Her encounter with Edward, although strange, would not prevent her from going about her day. She did find Dr. Cullen to tell him about the exchange later in the day.

"Do you think we should change him from fifteen to five minute checks?" he asked her.

Bella shook her head no, "I don't see why we would need to. He's not doing anything to hurt himself, and he hasn't threatened anyone but me. He hasn't really interacted with anyone much yet let alone shown any aggressive behavior either. I'm all for being cautious, but for the time being I think the fifteen minute checks are fine. I will take precautions myself when meeting with him for the time being, although I tend to think contracting for safety will be fairly easy for him."

"Alright Bella, I trust your judgement. Make sure to keep me updated with the case and if any changes are made make sure that you follow the proper protocol"

"Of course Dr Cullen"


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot**

The weekend went by too quickly for the uneasy Bella. She was still struggling with her sleep and the lingering, somewhat confusing, nagging feeling that Edward was the cause of it wasn't helping. Normally Bella was able to let go of work on the weekends, unless she ended up having to go to the hospital for overtime, which had been happening a little too frequently while they were short staffed, but this weekend she was off for good and she should have been able to relax and enjoy herself. As much as she tried to focus on the activities that she was doing, her mind kept wandering off, to the point where she burnt the tomato soup she had been cooking for lunch. That she had berated herself for because really, how can you burn soup?

"Are you okay Bella?" Charlie, her dad asked her over the phone.

"Yeah Dad, I'm fine," she said in a less than convincing tone.

"Are you sure? You don't sound like yourself. If there's something wrong you can tell me," he said with encouragement.

"I'm sure Dad," she replied with exasperation, "I'm just stressed out from work. We're still so short staffed and I guess it's just getting to me"

"You didn't have to work this weekend again did you?"

"Nope, not this weekend. I almost wish I did though, I'm so off lately, it would be good to have something else that I'd have to focus on"

"Now are you sure you don't want to try going fishing? I know you've said no before, but you might like it. It might be just the thing you need to forget about all your stress"

Bella laughed, "No thanks, I'll leave that to you. Plus you know I don't love eating fish so really it would end up being a waste"

"Well if you change your mind, you know where I am, and you know I'd be more than happy to take you with me. It's been a long time since we've done anything together. Father daughter bonding and all of that"

"If I change your mind I will certainly let you know Dad. For now not smelling like fish and bonding over the phone is working for me"

"Oh alright, but you need to take care of yourself somehow, if you're not careful you'll end up on the other side of those doors yourself one day Bells"

"Gee thanks dad," Bella snorted, "Give my love to Sue, and behave yourself"

"I always do. Love you Bella"

"Love you too dad"

The weekend came and went, and Bella was almost grateful that it was time to go back to work, just so she'd have a reason to be so distracted all day. She turned on her computer first thing when she got to her office and it began to whir to life as she got herself settled in. She sipped her coffee while her email loaded. Thankfully she was between sips when she read the one marked 'urgent' otherwise she would have done a spit take.

"What the actual fuck? Who the hell thought it would be a good idea to let the patients watch Jurassic World?!"

"Oh you saw that too?" Alice said, peeking her head around the corner, "Do you really have to ask that question? Take one look at this weekend's schedule and you'll know"

"Where did you come from? You're a goddamn ninja Alice. Is it because you're so tiny? Is that it? Does your size help with your sleuth?" Bella teased while she quickly scanned the schedule, letting out a groan when she saw it, "Fucking Lauren. I don't know how she still works here sometimes."

"Oh boy, someone is in a mood today. That's an awful lot of swearing from you," Alice commented.

"Yeah well," Bella grumbled, "I didn't have the most relaxing weekend. I was very edgy and I couldn't tell you why"

Alice frowned, "Bella, that's not good. I mean I know you've been stressed out from all the excess work, but this seems like beyond that. Maybe you should start planning a vacation. I bet if you mention that to Carlise that will set a fire under his ass to really find another therapist. We can't keep this up forever"

Bella sighed, "You're probably right, but honestly I've felt most normal at work lately. I mean, I agree we need another therapist, this isn't fair to either of us"

"Well just think about it. I'd hate for you to start hating your job because of your stress. And let's face it you don't have the natural perkiness that I do," Alice teased.

"And that is a blessing my dear Alice. The world could not handle two of you," Bella retorted, "But enough of this vacation pipe dream, we have work that needs to get done. We need to get to morning meeting for starters"

"We need to keep this meeting as brief as possible this morning because Alice and Bella have a lot of work to do today to help us overcome the Jurassic World fiasco," Dr. Cullen began, "That being said we have a new policy regarding movies, they all must be preapproved by myself prior to the patients viewing them. I have a list made up of several appropriate ones based on what we previously have screened and have readily available and all other movies need to be brought to me first for approval and then I will add them to the list or dismiss them. Now Jessica will you please begin the patient rundown of what happened over the weekend and try to be as efficient as possible. Everyone else please hold your comments or questions unless the are very important and relevant to everyone here, otherwise please check in after the meeting"

"Alright let's begin with James and Victoria," Jessica started once Dr. Cullen was done, and Bella was able to take her notes, but wasn't really all there.

"Shall we hold a group meeting to talk about the triggers and response of the movie?" Alice suggested to Bella after the meeting.

"That may be a good idea, but we'll have to segregate some of the clients based on their reaction," Bella agreed, "We don't want the ones who ended up with nightmares and PTSD flashbacks to be processing with the ones who began reenacting the movie with their own delusions, don't you think?"

"Good plan, so who's not on our list to round up? Emmet was fine, Charlotte was fine, Edward was fine, "Bella felt her heart beat faster when Alice mentioned Edward, but did not make any visual response, and Alice continued to make out lists which Bella dutifully wrote down.

As it turned out, talking to people about their trauma reactions to the movie was fine, but talking to people who watched the movies and then thought that they were dinosaurs themselves, or working with dinosaurs, not such a good idea. By the time everything had calmed down, it was time for lunch and Bella hadn't even gotten to half of her work for the morning. She was quickly walking down the hall, trying to get to her break without being stopped, when Edward came out of the shower room with only a towel loosely secured around his hips.

"Edward," she said, stopping in her tracks from the shock, but Bella was quickly able to gather herself, "You need to come out of the bathroom fully clothed. Only wearing towels is inappropriate"

He paused for a moment, standing there staring at her, his skin glistening, a few beads over water rolling down his form from his hair.

"I apologize," he finally spoke, "I hadn't thought about it and left my clean clothes in my room"

He gestured to the small pile of clothes in his right hand, where he also subconsciously grabbed his towel, "These are my dirty ones. I didn't want to put on dirty clothes after I had gotten clean. Next time I'll remember and I assure you this won't happen again"

"Glad to hear it," Bella said, "You best hurry, lunch is about to be served. I'll catch up with you this afternoon"

She flashed him a smile and began walking again, passing past his side, turning to look back when she heard him call her name.

"Oh Bella?" He inquired, "Would you mind terribly if we played a game of chess today?"

"Of course Edward, I'd be happy to"

She was again on her way, she could hear Edward padding back in the opposite direction and let out a sigh of relief from a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. She tried to shake the image of his body from her mind. She could not deny his attractiveness, but those thoughts were unacceptable and she needed a distraction.

"So Alice, what would your dream vacation be?" Bella asked as they sat down for lunch, looking for something to get the image of Edward's chiseled body out of her head.

"Ohh that's a toughie. Somewhere with class, and good shopping. Oh and a beach! What kind of vacation would it be without a beach?" Alice began, getting animated, which cause Bella to grin and chuckle under her breath, "So maybe somewhere in Italy, or France, or oh! Spain would be nice! Don't you think? Ooohh and the guys! They'd be so hot. And I might just need some help applying my sunscreen, if you know what I mean"

"You are such a flirt," Bella said with a giggle.

"Oh please," Alice said with a smirk, " It's not like you've never thought about it"

"Well you've got me there, that's for sure"

"How about you? What would your dream vacation look like?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. As long as it's someplace where I can fall into a good book, eat some good food, and have a little adventure"

"Adventure eh? What kind of adventure?"

"I'm not really sure," Bella said with a shrug, "I just want something new. Something different. Maybe something outdoors. Climb a mountain, or go zip lining through a jungle, or go white water rafting, or snorkelling, just anything with a little excitement"

"I get enough excitement here," Alice said, "I'm all about relaxation when I go away"

"Don't get me wrong," Bella returned, "I like relaxing, but I do get bored"

"And that's why you work here right?" Alice laughed.

"Don't ask me why I do the crazy things I do. Even I don't understand"

After lunch, Bella found Edward for their chess game as promised.

"How was lunch?" Bella asked as they sat down to the board.

Edward shrugged, "I ate it. Thank you for playing me, this weekend was difficult"

"I imagine it was. Did you watch the movie?"

"Are you kidding me?" He dead panned, "I saw that was a bad idea from a mile away. I admit, I was quite isolated this weekend. I know that you told me that I need to get more involved, but I stayed in my room. I have decided to try today to be more involved"

"I'm really glad to hear that Edward," Bella encouraged, "I know this morning was a bit chaotic but we should be more on track this afternoon. Were there any groups you were interested in?"

"You're having a mindfulness group this afternoon, right? From my understanding that's a kind of meditation, and I think that might help"

"You are correct on both parts. I'm glad you're open minded enough to try it, I look forward to seeing you there"

"Bella...I…," Edward faltered, "To be honest I don't know what I want. Well besides getting out of here. I can't….I mean I know I must...but..I..just..well I'm going mad"

"Well," Bella drawled slowly, "from my experience, most people aren't sure of what they want. But why don't you tell me a little more about what you mean"

"I can't stand it here," he said, slamming down a pawn, "I want to be more engaging because not only will it help me get through this hell hole, but spending all this time alone is absolutely tedious. But so far most of the people I've experienced here are infuriating. I also am not sure I trust myself, or really anyone else. Except maybe you"

"You trust me?"

"Yes, but you shouldn't trust me. Check mate"


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot.**

 _Previously…._

 _"_ _Bella...I…," Edward faltered, "To be honest I don't know what I want. Well besides getting out of here. I can't….I mean I know I must...but..I..just..well I'm going mad"_

 _"_ _Well," Bella drawled slowly, "from my experience, most people aren't sure of what they want. But why don't you tell me a little more about what you mean"_

 _"_ _I can't stand it here," he said, slamming down a pawn, "I want to be more engaging because not only will it help me get through this hell hole, but spending all this time alone is absolutely tedious. But so far most of the people I've experienced here are infuriating. I also am not sure I trust myself, or really anyone else. Except maybe you"_

 _"_ _You trust me?"_

 _"_ _Yes, but you shouldn't trust me. Check mate"_

Bella surveyed the board, "Well you've got me there. You must be very good at this. I'm afraid I won't be much of a challenge for you, I'm not very good"

Edward looked at her quizzically for a moment before responding, "You aren't going to comment on the fact that I just told you not to trust me?"

"Should I?"

"I suppose that's up to you. You're impossible to read you know"

"I'm not the one who's supposed to be read here. I'm the reader, not the readee. That's your job"

"What if it's a job I don't want to have?"

"Unfortunately you being here is just a consequence of your actions. A consequence you'll have to deal with"

"Will you listen? That is, will you listen with an open mind if I tell you about being a vampire?"

"Edward, let me be honest with you. I will do my very best to let hear you out, but know that I remain skeptical," Bella said, trying to be encouraging.

"Alright, I understand. I can't blame you, all of your instincts tell you not to believe me. So I will consider sharing with you. But I think that perhaps we need to wait a bit, because it's a bit of a long story and you have a group to run"

Bella raised her eyebrow, but otherwise didn't comment until she stood up, "It is about time for my group. Thank you for reminding me"

""Is it okay if I join you?"

"Of course, I just need to run to my office to grab something first. We'll be meeting in the blue room"

"Okay," Bella said in a loud voice, "We're ready to start! Since we have a new comer, who can share what this group is all about?"

"We, we, we, we, we, we do an activity, that, that, that, that focuses on being in the moment and, and, and, and, and," Riley began

"We meditate," Victoria interrupted in an exasperated tone.

"Victoria, Riley is speaking. He has the floor. Everyone has their chance to speak without interruption," Bella chastised

Victoria did not respond but just rolled her eyes.

"Feel free to continue Riley," Bella said with a smile.

Riley didn't look up, and just mumbled incoherently under his breath.

"Okay," Bella said continuing, "I couldn't have said it better myself, thank you Riley. Today we will be doing muscle relaxation, doing a positive reflection, and then doing mindful meditation"

"Bella!" Emmet said excitedly, "Can I walk us through the muscle relaxation?"

"Emmet!" Bella responded, reflecting his enthusiasm, "This is supposed to be a calming activity. I appreciate the excitement, but do you think you can handle it appropriately?"

Emmet straightened up in his seat and took a deep breath, speaking calmly this time, "Yes Bella. I can"

"Alright, I will give you a shot, but if you don't stay nice and calm then I'm taking over again"

"Yay!" Emmet said clapping his hands, which he promptly stopped when Bella gave him a warning look.

Emmet got through the muscle relaxation without any issues.

"Great job Emmett," Bella said, "Now onto our positive reflection. Who wants to share something positive that's happened today?"

"I got to see you," Edward said, softly.

"And how was that a positive thing that happened?" Bella asked.

"Let's just say it makes me happy"

"Okay, who else wants to share?" Bella asked, trying to get the focus off of Edward.

While Bella was narrating the meditation, she noticed that Edward kept his eyes on her. She had instructed the group to focus on some soothing visual imagery or something in the room if they found themselves getting distracted. Apparently Edward had decided to focus on her. She tried to not let it distract her from what she was doing as she continued to give the familiar instructions that came so naturally to her from reciting them every week.

"Alright, when you're ready come back to this moment. Think about what your body feels like, what you see, what you smell, what you hear. Let your senses guide you back into the present"

Everyone got up slowly, thanked Bella and left the room, until it was down to Edward and Bella.

"So what'd you think?" She asked him, "Do you think it will be helpful"

"You are so distracting," Edward commented, "I couldn't focus on anything but you. As pleasant as that might have been, imagining all the things I want to do to you, I'm not sure it was helpful"

"Well I'm sorry to hear that," she said, frowning, trying not to show her discomfort.

"Oh it's quite alright," Edward said with a devilish grin.

"Alright, well it's time for me to close up this room, and I need to head back to my office, so you need to find something to do yourself," Bella said, trying to gesture him out of the room

"Very well Bella," he said stepping out into the empty hallway, "You may not know it yet, because you still think you have control, but you will be mine"

Edward walked off, and Bella sank back down into the chair behind her, slightly stunned and not sure how to respond to what had just happened between them. After a moment she was able to compose herself, and pick up the things that she brought into the room. She turned in to look at the room and shut out the light, letting out a long, slow, breath.


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot.**

Once again, Bella dreamed of Edward that night. This dream was different from the others, it was so vivid, that when she awoke it was as if she could still feel the pressure of his body against her. She remembered every detail of the dream, and the clarity of which she was able to picture the redness of his eyes frightened her. In her dream Edward really was a vampire, and he had come in through her bedroom in the middle of the night. With sharp fangs and glowing red eyes, he was on her, biting her neck before she had time to react. It wasn't until he pulled away that she saw the crimson drops leaking out of the edges of his mouth that she made any sound which was quickly silenced by his mouth on hers, roughly kissing her. Bella could taste the rust of her own blood on his mouth, and she oddly wasn't bothered by it. Edward pulled away from her mouth, and a guttural growl rumbled in his throat. Bella could feel his cold skin pinning her down, and he got very close once more. She suspected that he was going to bite her again, but instead in a deep voice he whispered in her ear, "I told you, you are mine"

That was when Bella woke up. She began rubbing her neck under her mahogany hair to make sure there were no teeth sized holes in it.

'Alright Bella, pull yourself together,' she thought, 'There's no such thing as vampires. Edward's eyes are green, not red. He doesn't have fangs. He wasn't in your room last night. That was all just a crazy dream after how he freaked you out yesterday and you know he wants to talk to you about his delusions today'

Unfortunately, the dream had thrown her off, and she was unable to do her whole routine because she was running late. She decided that perhaps she would have time to do her yoga at work. Maybe she could do it as an activity with her patients.

"Bella you seem off this morning," Alice noted, "You alright?"

"Yeah," she responded with a sigh, "I just had this crazy dream last night and it threw off my morning. I didn't even get my yoga in"

Alice frowned, "That's no good. If you to get out a little early today to get some rest I'd be happy to cover, I still owe you after all those discharges you did for me"

"Thanks Ally, I'll think about it"

"Bella," Carlise said from the doorway of her office, "How are things going with Edward? Any progress?"

"Well he said he'd be willing to talk to me about his experience as a vampire, so that's something. His sexually inappropriate comments have decreased in intensity, but he is still flirty. No physical contact, and no more aggressive comments, although he is struggling with distress tolerance and he's still isolating. I also plan on talking to him about his medication today"

"I saw that he was up to hour checks instead of fifteen minutes, that's a good sign. I would just continue to ensure that other staff are aware when you're meeting with him and are easily accessible just to be on the safe side. I'm hoping that he's beginning to start to have some positive effects from his medications. I understand that it's going to be difficult to make any progress with him while his delusions are so strong"

"I'm hoping today we can make some progress with that. He had voluntarily offered to share about his delusions without my prompting yesterday. They seem to be pretty firmly ingrained so I tend to think that it's going to be harder to challenge his delusions, and I expect that he's prepared for my response. He's very intelligent and insightful, all things considered"

"Whatever support I can give you on this case I surely will. His first treatment team meeting is tomorrow correct?"

"That's right," Bella responded with a nod.

"I think we may have to be a little more forceful with that one. I'm willing to guess that many of the other providers aren't going to have an accurate view of the situation," Carlise said, reviewing his notes, "Send me an email after you talk to him with an update and we'll figure out how to proceed from this point"

"Of course Carlise," Bella said, "I'm going to try and meet with him this morning as I've mostly been meeting with him in the afternoon and I'm wondering if his presentation will change at all with the different time of day"

"Good plan, we'll talk later. Now Alice," Carlise continued, but Bella tuned him out, mentally going over her day.

Bella unlocked the door to the unit make sure it shut behind her with a soft 'click' as she head down the hallway to Edward's room. She stopped Ben in the hallway to let her know where she was going and he said once he was done checking Aro's vital's he'd be down.

"Knock, knock," Bella said, rapping on Edward's door, "Edward? You up?"

"Bella?" he said, his voice a bit horse, rubbing at his eyes.

"Did I wake you?"

Edward didn't respond, but slowly arched his back, stretching out his muscles as he got up out of bed, "I owe you a conversation"

"That is what I'm here for," Bella said, "Do you need a minute?"

"I don't want to miss any moment I can spend with you," Edward responded.

"Edward," Bella said in a warning tone, "You need to pay better attention to what you say. You've been making a lot of inappropriate comments to me lately. There are always consequences to your actions, continuing to make these comments will prevent you from earning any privileges"

Ben nodded in agreement from behind Bella, "I think perhaps you guys should meet in the comfort room for today"

"I agree Ben," said Bella, "So Edward, I'll ask you again. Do you need a minute before we meet?"

"I apologize," said Edward, "I suppose it would be in good form for me to make myself more presentable, so yes. I will meet you out there in a minute"

"Sounds good," said Bella, turning on her heels and heading out of the room.

Ben followed her out into the comfort room, "Angela said I better keep a good eye on you two. She doesn't trust him, although everyone else seems think otherwise. I know you tend to have things under control, but I'm here if you need me. I'll just sit in the hallway while you guys meet, I know privacy is a big deal"

"I appreciate it Ben," Bella said with a smile, "And I'll just continue to pretend that there's nothing going on between you and Angela"

Ben blushed and was about to respond when Edward walked over. Ben just nodded his head at them and pulled a chair out into the hallway, and Edward sat down at the table across from Bella.

"So," Bella began, "before you start, I just want to check in regarding your medication. Have you noticed any changes in anything since you started taking it?"

Edward shrugged noncommittally, "I guess I'm a bit more sluggish and sleeping more than I was"

"Any changes in anxiety or anger?"

Edward shrugged again and looked out the window with vocalization.

"Alright, I'll let Dr. Cullen know about your changes in sleep," Bella said, scrawling a reminder in her notepad, "Anything else you'd like to mention?"

Edward shook his head 'no', "How do we do this?"

"Well that's entirely up to you. Would you rather just talk and I'll listen, or would you rather me ask you questions?"

"I think I'd prefer just talking, but I suspect you'll have questions for me anyway"

"That is probably true, but if you'd like I can do my best to wait until you've finished expressing yourself before I ask them"

Edward nodded, took a deep breath, and began, "I haven't been a vampire very long. When I first started noticing that I was different I tried to ignore it and go about my life as I would have been. I tried eating normal food but it turned into ash in my mouth and made me throw up. I kept trying although I knew it wasn't what I needed but I couldn't keep it up, I couldn't survive that way. One day I tried sneaking into a blood drive to steal some blood bags so that I wouldn't have to hurt anyone but I was unsuccessful. They caught me and thought I was some lunatic and threw me out. I suppose I'm just glad that they didn't call the cops on me. In the alleyway behind where the blood drive was set up I saw a homeless guy passed out drunk next to the garbage. I was so hungry that I had no choice and I drank from him. Once I gained back some of my energy I ran. I have no idea what happened to that man, but I knew drinking his blood wouldn't be enough and that I'd have to do it again. I started isolating myself, staying home as much as possible so that I wouldn't attack anyone else. Esme started to get suspicious, so I had to go out"

Edward looked out the window once more, pausing for a moment to breath as he clenched his hands up into fists repeatedly, "She thought I was going to the grocery store. I mean I was headed there, I just didn't intend to buy anything. And I saw these teenagers, harassing this girl. I yelled at them, and pulled them away from her. They started yelling at me, but the girl got away. I must have done something that frightened them because they began to scatter. I was able to catch one of them, and I beat the crap out of him until he was unconscious. Then once again I was able to feed. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. I'd never felt so alive, and then I heard the sirens, and I knew I had to run. Esme was suspicious when I came home without any groceries and I told her a half truth. I told her about the skirmish and how the cops came, but I omitted my involvement in it. She was in such shock and said that she understood how I could have come home with nothing. The next day she took me to the store herself and we brought all this food to my house. After she left me I threw it all out again, and it was back to the same, isolating myself. I knew Esme would be worried again but she still seemed to think that I was upset about what I had witnessed and I wasn't going to correct her. It was a much longer time that time before I went out again. By that point my bloodlust was in control, not me and that's when I attacked those people"

Edward looked up at Bella, trying to gage her response, "If only you understood Bella. If only you could go through what I've gone through. It's so painful to be around people, just smelling them all the time, especially you. And I'm so very hungry again. I need blood Bella. Otherwise I don't know what's going to happen"

"Edward, that is very concerning. You've been eating everyday, and you haven't been ill, so I'm just going to assume you're getting your needs met in order to survive," Bella began, "And you need to understand, I'm not trying to undermine you when I say this, but there's really no such thing as vampires"

Edward let out an exasperated sigh and abruptly pushed his seat back from the table and stood up, "You're wrong," he said as he walked away, his face stony.

Ben looked between Edward's retreating form and Bella, and spoke only after Edward had slammed the door to his room, "So I take it that went well"

Bella let out a frustrated groan and put her head in her hands and began rubbing her temples. It was going to be a long day.


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot.**

The rest of the day went by uneventfully. Bella was even able to get her yoga in as part of her meditation group. When she got home, she was exhausted. She heated up some leftover spaghetti and ended up going to bed after she finished cleaning up from her dinner. That night she slept peacefully, and did not dream of Edward. As she went through her morning routine she was hopeful that today would be a better day and arrived at work with a smile on her face.

"Good morning," she practically sang to everyone she passed.

"You look so much better today," Alice said, a big smile on her face.

"Thanks," Bella said, reflecting her friend's mood, "I feel a lot better. I actually went to bed super early last night. I think I just needed the extra sleep. How are you holding up?"

"I'm the energizer bunny, Bella, you know that," Alice laughed, "I am thinking about doing a spa day this weekend though. A massage, a facial, a mani and pedi, the whole nine yards"

"That sounds glorious"

"You're more than welcome to come with if you want. We could have a girls day! We can get pampered and go shopping and eat chocolate and watch cheesy romance movies and complain about how we can't meet men like that because we're too busy"

"You know, I think I'll actually take you up on that"

"Yay!" Alice squealed and quickly turned heel, "I'm going to go make our appointment!"

Alice had left and come back in again to let Bella know what time their appointments at the spa were and express her excitement one more time about their weekend plans before Bella began preparing herself for her treatment meetings for the day. They would be taking up half of her day and Bella was not feeling as prepared as normal. She let out a heavy sigh when she was going over Edward's notes in preparation. His meeting was the last of the treatment teams for the day, and she felt like there was a twenty pound weight in her stomach when she thought about it. She wasn't sure how he would respond to her and the meeting itself after their encounter yesterday. Luckily, Bella didn't have time to dwell on it, she had seven other meetings before his and she needed to focus.

At lunch Bella was able to sit and read while she ate her salad. She needed some time to take her mind off of things and drift away to another reality. Alice was in a meeting so Bella was on her own today for her break and the silence was a welcome change. As it turned out, it was a good thing that she had set an alarm on her phone to let her know when her break was over, as she got so absorbed in her reading that she would have kept going and missed the rest of her day. Bella shut her book after ensuring that her bookmark was safely nuzzled in it's pages. She got up and stretched before quickly cleaning up after herself to continue about her day. If only her life were more like a book, she would be going on an adventure, or getting swept off her feet, or winning the lottery. She had so many fantasies of her life if she were a different person, or living in a different place, but that's all they were, fantasies. Bella went back into her office to get her notes for her next few meetings, and settled herself into her seat in the conference room next to Dr. Cullen, waiting for the rest of the staff to arrive.

All too soon it was Edward's meeting and Bella's head was swimming.

"So from my understanding confronting him about his delusions did not go as well as we would have hoped," Carlise began.

"That's correct," Bella confirmed, "He shared with me about people he's 'fed on' and when I tried to challenge his thoughts by pointing out that he's been eating food and he's still surviving and reminding him that vampires are a myth he told me I was wrong and walked away. His frustration tolerance is still an issue, and he's still isolating quite a lot. He attended my mindfulness group yesterday but none others that I'm aware of. He expressed interest in music so I'm trying to encourage him to earn the privilege to use the music room by engaging more in treatment. He seemed to understand the concept but I believe that his delusion is deep seeded that he believes that he's going to start attacking people to drink their blood, which is why he won't leave his room for much"

"How's his self-care habits been?" Carlise directed towards Jessica, the nurse, "He's still eating, showering, brushing his teeth and the like?"

"Yes," Jessica said nodding her head, "He does all of that with no prompting. He is having so issues with his sleeping patterns still. He's been med compliant, and his only reports about the medication were what he shared with Bella about the sluggishness. He did also say that he's sleeping more than he was, but he's not sleeping more than eight hours a day, it's just not a standard sleep schedule. He doesn't speak much to others unless he's first engaged, other than to complain about the food. He did ask for chocolate and wine. I obviously said no to the wine, but I told him that chocolate would be a possibility, but we would need to discuss it first"

"Thank you Jessica," Carlise said, "Would it be possible for someone to print out a chart for him to track his compliance with treatment and he can earn rewards that way? Chocolate and access to the music room are easy enough things to get for him"

"That's a great idea. I can print him out a chart to carry around and get signed off after this meeting if he's agreeable to it," Bella said.

"And you said he's made no more sexually aggressive comments correct?" Carlise questioned.

"That's right. He was a bit flirty yesterday, but easily redirected," she confirmed.

"And no reports from the other female staff," Eric said, "I actually find him quite agreeable. He's been very easy to work with. Low-key. We've switched him down to hour checks since there's been so little issue."

Bella frowned, "I'm still very concerned about his ability to manipulate. He's very intelligent and I'm willing to guess that he knows how to hide his symptoms and he'll be willing to say or do whatever to get what he wants"

Jessica rolled her eyes, "Bella just because someone is smart doesn't mean that they're automatically going to manipulate people"

"And that's exactly what he wants you to think," Carlise interrupted, "I quite agree with Bella. He is not to be underestimated. Unlike most of our patients who will use compliments and blatant lies about how they're doing to try and get what they want, I suspect Edward will be much sneakier about it. He is high functioning, and we're not sure how long he was living with this psychosis for before he attacked those people and wound up here. He's very guarded and that makes it very important to make sure to write his notes with as much detail as possible and try to keep yourselves up to date with what's been going on with him. The last thing we need is for him to get away with something just because someone's lack of knowledge"

Much of the rest of the conversation was a back and forth between Carlise and Bella regarding what expectations were appropriate for him and how to continue to approach his vampire delusion. They both decided that it was in their best interest if they let him bring it up on his own and not pressure him otherwise for the time being.

"Alright, Eric, would you mind going to get him," Carlisle said, "Time to see what he has to say about all of this"

Eric got up and returned with Edward a couple of minutes later. Eric returned to his former seat and Edward sat across the table from Bella and Carlise.

"Edward, how are you today?" she asked, looking at him with a pleasant smile.

"I'm doing fine," He answered, not breaking eye contact with her.

"That's good to hear," she responded, looking down briefly at her notes before continuing, "So this is your first treatment team meeting. Just so you know a bit better about how this works, we meet up to discuss how you're doing and what we can do to make sure you're getting the best help. Now I know that you haven't been here for very long, but how do you feel that you're doing so far?"

Edward shrugged, "I know I'm not really doing what you want me to be doing, but I also know that safety is a concern for you all and I have so far behaved in a safe manner. I've also been keeping myself well groomed and taken care of, and honestly can't say the same for some of my peers," he said with a slight hint of disgust.

"We do all appreciate your efforts so far," Bella said, "And you are an adult and free to make your own choices. We really can't force you to do anything, but you're correct, we would like to see you get more engaged with your treatment. Is there anything you can think of that would help you be more engaged?"

He shrugged again but didn't answer.

"Well we have a couple ideas we'd like to run by you, and it's up to you if you'd like to try them or not," she continued, "You've expressed interest in using the music room and as we've just learned, you've been asking for chocolate. So we thought that perhaps if you had your own schedule to track your activities that you could have others sign off on you'd be able to earn those things. How does that sound?"

"That sounds manageable, albeit a bit childish"

"Well we're happy to have alternative suggestions to consider. This is all up to you"

"Whether or not it's up to me isn't the point now is it?" Edward drawled, "I'm stuck here until I become involved and you see some kind of positive change in me and let me go, correct? So fine, I will accept your bribes for my participation. If you can live with it, I can"

"Edward, it's not bribery, it's a reward. There are consequences to your behavior no matter what you do. Just in this case the consequences are positive," Bella said, "Everyone gets the chance to earn privileges in life"

"I already said I would do it, didn't I? But I suppose there's some truth to what you've said," he conceded, "I could use some more positives in my life"

"Alright," Bella said, with some hesitancy, "I'll print you out a schedule and we can go over it in more detail later"

"Do you have any questions for us?" Carlise asked.

"Nothing I can think of at the moment," he answered, his attention still focused on Bella.

"Well if you're ready I can take you back," Eric said.

This proposition Edward turned his attention to. He nodded his head and stood up when Eric did, giving Bella one last glance as he left the room. It was a sad and pleading look, and she was the only one who even noticed it happened.


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot.**

Later that afternoon, Bella met up with Edward once more with the printed out chart as promised.

"So I really need to get this signed?"

Bella sighed, "Ideally, yes. But remember this is all up to you. You're being responsible for your future"

"Alright," Edward nodded, "I'll do it"

Bella smiled weakly, "Thank you. I hope it helps you"

"Me too. I really do want to have more privileges"

"I know you do. I also know it's hard to be here," Bella said, "It's a big adjustment to life outside of the hospital. It does help if you talk to people. Your peers can relate to what you're going through, since they've been there before. I'm not saying you need to be best friends with anyone, but give them a shot. They might surprise you"

"Mmmm," Edward grumbled.

"Have you really talked to anyone on the unit yet?"

"Well, no. Not really"

"Well why don't we go meet with someone?"

Edward ran a hand through his hair, let out a sigh, and shrugged.

"Well I'm going to go check in with some other people," Bella said standing up, "If you want to come with me, you're more than welcome to"

Bella walked out of the room, and before she went very far down the hall she heard Edward sigh again and the chair scrape noisily against the floor. She couldn't help but smile to herself.

"Mr Whitlock how are you today?" Bella asked cheerily.

"I'm quite alright ma'am, "Jasper said standing up from his seat, "I want to thank you for giving me that book. I'm really enjoying it so far"

"Oh I'm so glad to hear it," she said happily, "You'll have to let me know when you finish it and we can talk about it. I don't want to spoil anything"

Edward stood behind Bella clenching his jaw tightly and flexing his fist. He cleared his throat and tried to relax some of his tension, swallowing hard.

"Oh," Bella said turning to him and looking between Edward and Jasper, "Have you met Edward? I'm trying to encourage him to get to know some of the people here. And I know he's looking for a more challenging chess partner than me"

Jasper chuckled briefly, but frowned when he looked at Edward and he leaned in and whispered in Bella's ear. Bella's eyes flashed over to Edward briefly before she responded to Jasper.

"Well if anyone can help him through that, I would trust you," she said reaffirming Jasper.

Edward, who did not appreciate others talking about him, especially when he didn't know what they were saying, as if he weren't there grunted. Jasper looked at him again with caution before offering his hand to the other man.

"It's nice to officially meet you," Jasper offered, "Although I am a bit envious that they gave you my single room"

"What are we talking about?" Emmet asked coming over to stand between Jasper and Edward, "Bella, do you know what's for dinner? And are you staying for open mic night?"

"We are acquainting Edward to some of the people on the unit, which I think I will leave you guys to. You don't need me hanging around harshing on your groove," Bella said with a wink, "To answer your other questions, you know who to ask about that and it sure isn't me. And no, no open mic night for me tonight. You guys enjoy though. You'll have to keep track of who sings what and tell me tomorrow"

"You're leaving?" Edward ask, sounding distressed. He still had not shaken Jasper's hand.

"Not forever," she answered, "I still have work I need to get done today, not to mention a few people I should still check in on. I can't stay and enjoy the company of you fine gentlemen forever"

Emmet grinned, "You hear that? She called me a fine gentleman!"

He grabbed at his shirt, pretending that he had a jacket on over it, lifted his chin up and strutted around in a circle. Bella chuckled and waved at them over her shoulder as she made her way down the hall.

"Uggg why does he have to be so weird? It's embarrassing," Bella heard Rose grumble from her doorway where she was watching the three of them.

"Rosalie," Bella said with a stern tone, "What Emmet does with his life has no bearing on you. Just because you don't like what he's doing doesn't make it wrong. He has just as much right to express himself as he chooses as you do"

"Well that doesn't mean I have to like it"

"You are absolutely right. All I'm asking is that you respect it. And maybe give them some space, I'm sensing the testosterone flowing over there," Bella said gesturing her hands at them.

"Yeah, maybe I'll see if Leah wants to do her nails with me," Rose said thoughtfully, "Get some estrogen flowing in here. There's too many guys here. It's gross. I need some girl time"

"That's the spirit," Bella encouraged.

After checking in with a few more patients, Bella stopped at the nursing station.

"Hey Nessie," she said, distracting one of the counselors from the paper she was looking at, "Can you make sure that they keep an eye on Edward tonight. He was very edgy when I was introducing him to some of the people on the unit. Jasper was a bit concerned about his intensity. I'd hate for them to start fighting"

"Of course," the girl said, nodding her head, "Embry's on tonight, I'm sure he'll be able to manage if something happens. I know Edward hasn't had any issues yet, but since this is his first big interaction I get the concern"

"Ohhh is that a new septum ring?" Bella asked gesturing to Nessie's nose, "Sorry I'm having a total spaz moment right now. My brain is fried"

"Yeah, it is," Nessie said, tossing her short locks back and laughing, "It's been super stressful around here, I get it. I still think you should reconsider getting a tattoo, you'd probably love it!"

"I wish I were that brave," Bella laughed, "And you know I'm not super good with blood. Plus I'm not creative, I don't even know what I'd want to get"

"I'm just saying think about it. I know a guy. Or a girl if you'd prefer," Nessie grinned, "Besides, I'm up for any excuse to go and get more work done if you need the support"

"If I change my mind, I'll let you know. Man I need to get out of here," she said touching her forehead, "Thanks for looking out. I've got to go write my notes and go home to let my stomach get to know a glass of wine"

"No problem Bells," Nessie said with a smile.

When Bella was double checking behind her before closing the locked door, she saw Edward looking at her again. It sent a chill up her spine that no amount of wine would be able to chase away. The moment passed in a split second and he once again was focusing on the people in front of him, but his piercing green eyes lingered in her mind's eye.


	9. Chapter 9

**I** **do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot.**

After dinner that night Edward was pacing back and forth in his room. He was deep in thought, creases in his forehead wrinkling from his level of concentration. Periodically he would mumble to himself, or angrily repeat a phrase. His hands were balled into tight fists, which he was shaking. He was unable to deny his jealousy, but he knew it wasn't warranted. The experience of knowing exactly what he wanted but being unable to obtain it was making him furious. Edward vowed to himself that he would work harder. He had to, there was no other way.

"Evening Edward," Ben said knocking on the door before popping his head in the room, "Just doing checks, everything alright in here?"

Edward didn't have enough time to react and hide his frustration. He knew Ben had noticed too.

"Can I get a notebook and a pen?" he requested, the irritation in his voice.

"Yeah," Ben said nodding his head, his eyes still focusing on Edward, noting carefully his demeanor, "I can do that for you. You participating in open mic tonight?"

"I don't know," Edward said speculating, "Perhaps once I have the notebook I'll feel more inclined to be involved"

"I'll work on the notebook, but you should go anyway. It's fun," Ben encouraged.

Edward, knowing Bella would want him to go, simply nodded his head. He need more time to think, to plan. It would be easier if he could keep track of this thoughts, hence the notebook, but perhaps he could focus there anyway if no one expected him to participate. He could just watch right?

Part way through the open mic night Ben followed through with his word and appeared with a notebook and a pen. Edward flashed him a smile and thanked him. He would have to write some fake journal-like entries in the first few pages, just in case someone got their hands on it. And if Bella saw it, perhaps she would be pleased with him. Yes, it wasn't as private as he wanted, but this would work. Edward played his role well, clapping and cheering along, and by the end of the night he was certain that Ben was smiling at his involvement. However once he got back to his room, Edward got to work.

The next afternoon he found out his plan had worked better than he'd hoped.

"So I heard that you got a notebook last night," Bella said happily.

Edward shrugged trying to appear nonchalant, "I figured journaling might help"

"I'm absolutely thrilled that you're giving it a shot," she smiled at him, "Writing can be so cathartic. And you went to open mic night! How was it?"

"I actually had a lot of fun," his smile genuine, but not for the reason Bella thought. She was practically eating out of his hand.

'I will get you yet, Isabella Swan,' he thought to himself, 'You will be mine'

He'd overheard Alice speaking excitedly about their girls day this weekend. He could picture Bella's gossamer skin, exposed to a total stranger, allowing them to rub their hands sensually all over her body. The slightest moans of pleasure coming out of her. The thought both excited and enraged Edward. He ended up anxious all weekend, thinking about it. Those two days without seeing her were torture.

On top of that Esme came to visit. She was pleasant enough, although he could tell she wasn't quite comfortable and she was nervous for him. Esme was such a sweet woman and he did hate seeing her that way, especially knowing that he was the cause. Although most of their visit he was simply going through the motions, he did enjoy their time together. But she was not Bella.

The weekend came and went, just not as quickly as Edward would have liked. He went to bed early Sunday night. He needed a good nights sleep. He had a lot of work to do this week.


	10. Chapter 10

**I** **do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot.**

Bella was so relaxed from her girls day with Alice over the weekend that she woke up before her alarm on Monday morning. Her morning routine was a breeze and when she arrived at work she had such a big smile on her face she was practically glowing.

"Thanks so much for suggesting that girls day Alice," she told her with a happy sigh, "I can't remember the last time I felt this good. After the past couple of weeks I needed that. I feel so renewed, like I could take on anything"

"Oh I know," Alice mirrored her sigh, "Jane could throw a cup of orange juice at me right now and I wouldn't even care. It would feel like a nice little waterfall trickling down my back. And I hope I look half as good as you do. You're positively radiant"

Bella blushed, "Well thanks Ally. Although I doubt it. I never look as good as you do. You're always so put together and I'm just, well, me"

Alice rolled her eyes, "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. Anyway we need to get to morning meeting. Monday mornings always take longer"

"And today I'm okay with that," Bella grinned, "Let's see how long this lasts"

That afternoon Bella got onto the unit and was pleasantly surprised to see Edward sitting with some of the other patients, actually laughing. She didn't approach them any further and just leaned against the wall to observe. Emmet was becoming quite animated, sharing some story with the group. They all began laughing at him again. Edward looked up, happiness evident in the creases of his face, and his eyes met Bella's. He smiled at her and began to stand up. Bella put her hand up to stop him, and featured at Emmet. She mouthed 'Enjoy' at him. He looked back and forth between Bella and Emmet for a moment. It looked as though he were about to further respond to Bella but she was interrupted by Bree. Edward settled back into his seat and continued to pretend to be engaged by Emmet's antics while keeping Bella focused in his peripheral vision.

"Sorry to break up the fun gentlemen," she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she strolled towards them, "But managing symptoms group is starting soon if any of you would like to join"

"Bel-la," Emmet whined, "How am I ever supposed to become president if you won't let me mingle with my people?"

Jasper snorted, "You're in a psych ward, no one is voting for you for president"

"You're supposed to be my bodyguard," Emmet said with a frown.

Bella intervened before it could escalate further, "Emmet you are perfectly safe here, you don't need a bodyguard. Do you know where you are today?"

He looked around with a sullen face, "I'm in the hospital"

"And how are you feeling?"

"I…..," he hesitated, "I don't know. Not very good I guess"

"Well why don't you take a little break and relax a bit," she suggested, "Maybe spend some time with Alice"

He nodded his head and sat down on a chair behind him. He was looking down and some of his tossed brown curls tumbling onto his forehead. He cupped his face with his hands, elbows on his knees. It broke Bella's heart to see him so dejected. She would have to let Carlisle and Alice know that his delusions were creeping back. She turned her focus back to the group, trying to give Emmet some privacy.

""Symptoms group?" She posed the question.

Walking with the group past the nurses station, Bella stopped for a moment to check in with Jacob.

"Hey Jake," she said, waiting for him to look up, "Could you let Alice know that she should check in with Mr . McCarthy?"

She gestured over to Emmet, and Jake liked over at him and nodded, "Sure thing Bells"

"Thank you," she said, patting the counter before catching up with the rest of the group.

Edward participated in the group, which went very smoothly. Bella's relaxation streak seemed to be able to continue. She smiled at Edward after the group and told him that she had been glad to see him participating. If he could maintain making progress head be earning some privileges.

"Actually Bella," he said before she began walking away, "I was wondering if you could help me with something"

"Depending on what it is, I'd be happy to help"

"I was actually hoping to be able to listen to some music. I have this CD but I haven't been able to listen to it. I don't have radio privileges yet"

"Hmm, I'll tell you what. I'll have to check in with the team to make sure but I can probably meet you this afternoon with a stereo in your room for a little while, but until you get full privileges you can't keep it in there"

"That sounds fair enough"

"Great! I will check in with you in a bit after I get to talk to the team"

Edward smiled at her, flashing a toothy grin. As it turned out Bella was successful and he found himself virtually alone with her in his room.

"I'm sorry that you don't get to do this privately. It's just a safety concern for the time being"

"Oh no worries, I understand, "Edward said with a shrug of his shoulders, "I'm just grateful to be able to listen to it. Besides, I like sharing music with other people"

"Oh really?" Bella raised a single eyebrow, "I find music to be very personal. I won't share music with just anyone"

Edward then raised his eyebrow, "Do you make your own music?"

"Oh no, nothing like that, " Bella chuckled, "I'm not that talented. Music just had such significant meaning to me. It gets tied into my emotions and relationships. Certain songs remind me of certain people or events. So even though I'm the only one who knows about that, it just makes me feel vulnerable. I mean music that's not so significant to me, no big deal; but when I'm sharing music with someone it's my way of creating a new memory with someone"

"Wow," Edward said, running his hand through his hair, "That is some deep thinking. I never considered that, but I guess it makes sense. I've always just kind of thought about sharing music as making the world a bit of a better place. Music can make people so happy and break down barriers. It's easy to share a bond with someone over a good song"

"That is also a good point," Bella noted, "I agreed that music is meant to be shared, but I'm anxious that if a relationship turns sour it may taint that music for me. I suppose it's a good thing I'm not musically gifted. I would never want to share with anyone"

Edward laughed, "Well I guess we'll never know"

Bella stayed with him until the CD ended. They were able to chat comfortably, and Bella was happy to see the turnaround in her 'vampire'. Once again her dreams turned to Edward that night. This time however they were both dressed up. Edward had on a tuxedo and was playing a baby grand piano. Bella wore a floor length, sleeveless, white dress with beading. She stood next to him while he played,completely captivated. She couldn't help but notice how sexy he looked and the way his green eyes sparkled in the light. Although they never spoke, she found herself blushing. When she awoke, she had a smile on her face.


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot.**

Throughout the day, Bella kept thinking about Edward. She was distracted during her meetings, thinking about meeting with him later in the day. She knew her preoccupation wasn't healthy, but she just kept telling herself that her fixation was purely because she wanted to make sure that he was still progressing. Bella also knew, but would not admit, that she was in denial.

She was pleasantly surprised when she saw that Edward almost seemed to be waiting for her when she walked onto the unit. Thus far in their relationship she had been the one to seek him out, and she took it as a positive sign that he was the one to approach her first in this instance. He greeted her rather casually, his spirits high.

"Why hello there Edward," She said, stopping in front of him, reflecting his positivity back on him, "You seem like you're in a good mood today. How's your day been?"

He shrugged, and Bella made a mental note of how frequently he did that, "It's alright. I was actually hoping that I could talk to you. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure," she agreed, "Why don't we go check and see if the comfort zone is available? That way we can have a bit more privacy"

"Of course," Edward said stepping to the side and gesturing for her to go ahead of him.

They chatted superficially, about the weather, lunch, and the like as they meandered down the hallway. As they passed by the nurses station, Angela looked at Bella with a cocked head. Bella nodded her head in affirmation to the unspoken query. She wasn't so enchanted by Edward that she let it cloud her judgement. Despite the fact that he had been behaving safely and had no issues to speak of, it was still good for others to be aware when she was semi-alone with him. This was helpful because Edward could feel more comfortable with her without others around that could easily eavesdrop on their conversation, not that any of the staff had been doing so, but the potential was there.

"So Bella, there's a few things I was hoping we could talk about today," Edward began as they sat down. He anxiously ran his hand through his hair, studying her as he waited for her response.

"Well that's precisely what I'm here for, so what's going on?" She prodded gently.

"Well I'm not trying to brag or anything, but I think I've been doing better. I've been going to more groups and I'm trying to be more active so I'm hoping that we can discuss getting some more privileges," He said with an edge of hesitation in his tone.

"I don't think you're bragging at all. You have been doing better, I can agree with that. What privileges in particular did you have in mind?"

"Well I was hoping that I could get a stereo in my room. Or time in the music room. I really enjoyed the time that I got to spend with you yesterday listening to my CD. I'm just hoping to do more," He said, giving Bella pure puppy dog eyes, "Plus my creative juices have been flowing and I'd like to be able to express some of that"

Thinking back to her dream Bella blushed. She looked down for a moment to gather herself, hoping that he wouldn't notice the red tint on her cheeks. She brushed a hair that had fallen when she had adjusted her head back behind her ear. She made a soft humming noise to make it seem as if she was thinking over the scenario. After taking a deep breath she answered him.

"I imagine that's something that I can arrange. Keep in mind that just like all the other privileges, I have to go over it with the team"

"Thank you Bella, I appreciate it"

"You're welcome. Now I'm not saying get your hopes up, because it's not a definite, but I'd say that's a very reasonable request and I don't see it being a problem," she said with enthusiasm, "If you're willing to share I'd love to hear some of the music that you write. I completely understand if you don't, but if you do, just let me know"

Edward paused for a moment, "I will," he said with a thoughtful nod.

"Now was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Bella asked.

"Well yes," it was his turn to look at the ground, "I wanted to apologize"

"Apologize? For what?" she asked, her eyebrows drawing together in concern.

"For how I behaved. When I was talking to you about being a vampire. I was," he paused once more, searching for the right word, "Rude, for lack of a better term. I had expected your response and I was defensive. I recognize that you were only doing your job"

"Oh Edward that's fine," Bella said, her facial features relaxing, "I assure you I didn't take it personally. I understand that it's a sensitive subject for you"

"I was actually hoping that we could speak a bit more about it"

"Oh!" she said, surprised, "Of course, if you'd like to I'd be more than happy to talk more about it. I just don't want you to be uncomfortable"

"Well I wouldn't have brought it up if I wasn't comfortable with it"

"That is a good point," Bella nodded, "So whenever you're feeling comfortable you can start"

"Well I told you about how I was turned into a vampire. I've told you about how I attacked people, and I know that you didn't believe me. What can I tell you that will help you understand?"

Bella sighed and took a moment to chose her words carefully, "Edward, I believe that you believe that you're a vampire"

Edward let out a frustrated grunt, "I _am_ a vampire. I want you to believe that too. Please, Bella, please try"

"I will do my best to keep an open mind," she said, softly and slowly, "But I'm not guaranteeing anything. You have to understand where I'm coming from. All of my life it's been told to me that vampires are just a myth"

"I understand. I used to think that too. What will it take to convince you?"

"To be honest, I'm not really sure," Bella said after a moment, "Why don't you share with me what you think is important, and I'll still keep my mind open"

"Hmm," Edward mused, "Maybe I'm not ready for this. Maybe I need to think about it more"

"Whatever will make you most comfortable," she said.

"Well I want to tell you about what's wrong about the myths of vampires," Edward said, "I think I can do that. Maybe that will help"

"I"m willing to listen to whatever you have to say," she opened up her hands in a welcoming gesture.

"Well for one thing, vampires can go out in sunlight. It's just easier if we don't do it for long period of time, it tires us out. We can use mirrors. Garlic is irritating because it has such a strong scent, but doesn't actually do anything to us. Wooden stakes through the heart would harm us, but not kill us. You have to remove the head and burn everything to properly kill a vampire. We do have super human senses. I see, hear, and smell much better than I used to be able to"

"Okay," Bella said with some uncertainty, "And how do you feel about that?"

"I'd feel a lot better if I thought you believed me"

"I'm sorry Edward," Bella said with a sigh.

He frowned, "I thought as much. I hope you can change your mind someday Bella"

Bella nodded as he got up and walked away from her again. She really hoped that her coworkers would agree to allow Edward into the music room. He deserved some good news after he had tried so hard to express himself to her.


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot.**

The team was supportive of Bella's suggestion to grant Edward access to the music room. She approached him later in the day and told him so. He was quiet, and was subconsciously running his hand through his bronze hair. He didn't say much, but a crooked smile briefly flashed across his face. Bella offered to take him to the room, and he mumbled a 'Thank you' and followed her down the hall and waited for her to unlock the door.

Edward ran his hands over the instruments in the room, his fingertips grazing the smooth surfaces. Bella admired the childlike awe in his face as he explored the room. A faint melodic tinkling came from the keyboard as Edward used his long fingers to press down on the keys. He gave a half shrug and said something so softly under his breath that Bella didn't catch it.

Bella self-consciously brushed a stray hair behind her ear and cleared her throat to draw Edward's attention, "Now, unfortunately, for the time being you can't be in here by yourself. Well, you can have some privacy, but there's not really as much as you'd probably like. Someone can sit in the hallway, but you have to leave the door open"

Edward dropped his eye contact and nodded his head, "I understand. I'm just so happy to have access to the instruments that I can live with that," he sighed happily, "Thank you so much Bella for being on my side. Things didn't go as well as I'd hoped earlier but I know that you're trying, and that means a lot to me"

"Of course," Bella blushed, "I know it doesn't always seem like it, but I'm in your corner Edward"

"I know," he nodded once more, "I truly believe that you can help me. You might be the only one"

They both frowned, "Edward, don't say that. I am certainly here to help you, but so are the others. And Esme. She cares about you, or she wouldn't still be part of your life"

"I know that," he said curtly, "But I don't trust them the way that I trust you. There's just something about you Bella. I can tell. You're the only one. I'm not going to make it in this world unless you help me"

"I appreciate the compliment," Bella said with hesitation, "And I am happy to help, but you have more resources to turn to than just me. Plus, you deserve to give yourself more credit as well. But I think perhaps we need to redirect our attention. I want you to enjoy your time in the music room while you can"

Edward's face was still dark, but he followed her suggestion. Bella tried to be respectful of his process and pulled up a chair and took her station just outside the door. She listened to his music, as he went from instrument to instrument. Some of what he played she recognized, but other pieces she wasn't familiar with. She wondered to herself how much of it he composed himself and how much were songs that she just didn't know. The twenty minutes he had to play went by too quickly for both of them.

"You are very talented," Bella complimented, "I'm sorry to have to take you away. Maybe someday you'll share with me one of your own creations"

"Maybe," Edward mused, "I think I'd like that, but not yet. I'll freely admit I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my music. Of course I'm sure you completely understand the personal nature of it as well"

"That I do," she agreed as they made their way back onto the rest of the unit, "Well I'm glad we were able to end today on better terms. Hopefully tomorrow we can pick up from this place and continue to make progress"

"That sounds like a good plan. I hope you're right," Edward smiled at her sadly, "Until tomorrow then, Bella"

That might have been the last of their interactions of the day for Edward, but just like so many nights past, he came to Bella in her dreams.

She found herself in a clearing the the woods. Vibrant shades of green surrounded her in the sunny meadow. The grass was high, and wildflowers were scattered throughout. A faint breeze blew through her hair, and the warm sun kissed her skin. Bella was wearing a pale blue sundress, with a honeycomb pattern overlay, that ended just below her knees. She had on white Mary Janes and her mahogany hair was in loose soft waves. Edward stood about a hundred feet away, next to a blanket that lay flattening the grass. There was a picnic basket open on the blanket. He looked at Bella in a way that she had only read about in romance novels. He grinned at her and her knees got weak. He gestured to the blanket below him.

"Well?" was all he said.

Bella heard herself uncharacteristically giggle, and practically jogged over to him. As she reached him, Edward planted a kiss on her lips as he caught her in his arms. They sat down at the same time, and Bella tucked her legs underneath her, resting herself on top of them. Edward kissed her once more, this time on the temple, and began pulling things out of the basket. Bella looked over all of what was in front of her as Edward poured her a flute of champagne. There grapes, a sliced up apple, a few different cheeses, an array of crackers, what looked like a spinach salad, and to top it all off, the biggest chocolate covered strawberries she'd ever seen.

"So what do you think my love?" He asked as he handed her the champagne.

"Oh Edward, I love it," she practically gushed, "It's perfect"

"Only the best for you," he smile was dazzling and briefly took her breath away. Bella was certain her cheeks were crimson and she cursed her naturally blushing nature.

"This is so wonderful," she said as they ate, "How did you ever find this place? It's so beautiful and peaceful here"

Edward shrugged, biting in his apple slice, "I hike around her sometimes. I ended up off the path one day and stumbled onto this place. I like to come here to think and be alone. Then the other day it occurred to me that I would enjoy this place much more if I could share it with you"

Bella wasn't sure if it was the breeze picking up or just the moment that made her shiver.

"Oh no, are you cold?" he asked, drawing her close to him so that she was nearly sitting in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and her back ended up pressed against his chest.

"Um, no," Bella said with an eye flutter, "I've never been better, actually."

She felt so small next to him like this. It was as if she was a little girl once again and he was someone's cute older brother that she had a crush on. Unbeknownst to her, Bella began to smile coyly.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked, holding up a chocolate strawberry for her.

She picked it out of his hand and held onto it for a moment while she answered him, "What do you mean? I'm not thinking anything"

"Oh don't hold back on me Swan," he teased, "I can see it in your face. You're definitely thinking something"

"Well if you must know," Bella said tilting her head down so that a curtain of hair blocked her face from his view, "I was just thinking that I'm not sure what I did to deserve all of this. I'm just so unbelievably lucky to be here with you"

"Oh no," he said, gently tilting her chin up and brushing the hair away from her face, "I'm the lucky one. I must have done something right in a past life, because there's no way that you'd be here with me otherwise"

Bella's face was hot, and she was speechless. Not knowing what to do with herself, she looked down at the strawberry in her hand and placed it to her lips, taking a bite. Chocolate smudged on her lower lip, and the strawberry juice dripped down over it. Edward wiped away some of the juice with his thumb, promptly putting it in his mouth to suck away the sweet flavor. Before Bella could wipe away any of the rest of the mess, he leaned in and kissed her. She could feel the arousal rising in the pit of her stomach as the kiss intensified. The bitten strawberry toppled out of her hand, forgotten, and rolled away into the grass. It was just as well because it would have stained her dress if it has remained on the blanket as Edward leaned her down onto the ground.

He was on top of her, and Bella let out a moan as his hand grazed her thigh. Enjoying the reaction he had gotten, he broke their kiss for a moment so that he could slide his hand up underneath the fabric of her dress. As his hand got closer to her core he could feel the heat coming from her. She moaned again and he buried his face into her neck, kissing it slowly.

"Oh Edward," she gasped, as his thumb circled her clit above her cotton panties.

He let out his own guttural moan, his erection pressing against her hip, "Do you like that?"

She bit her lower lip and nodded. Bella reached up her hand and pulled Edward's face back to hers, kissing him hungrily.

"Can I..?" he said, his fingers slipping underneath her underwear, tugging gently.

Before dream Bella could formulate a response, reality Bella found herself bolting upright in her bed with a gasp. She wasn't sure what had woken her up, but she was startled by her newly excited state. Looking over to her alarm clock she let out a groan when the numbers read 4:42 A.M. In a little over an hour in a quarter she needed to be up and getting ready for work. She knew she needed more sleep but didn't see how that would be possible with her arousal.

After briefly weighing her options in her mind, Bella allowed her hand to slide beneath the waistband of her shorts, picking up with dream Edward had left off. The shame and embarrassment quickly set in after she cried out in pleasure. It wasn't as if she'd never had a sex dream about a patient before, but she'd never had one that seemed so real. And no dream had ever turned her on the way that had. It was more than that, however. She knew it was a problem that she had continued the ridiculous fantasy even after she had woken up. Although the orgasm had been one of the best self-induced ones that she could remember, she knew it was wrong. Now she was too angry with herself to sleep, so Bella resigned to getting up and out of bed early. She contemplated for a moment calling out sick, but almost instantly dismissed the idea. There was no avoiding this. As much as she didn't want to, Bella knew she had to deal with this. The only question was how.


	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot.**

Edward made a mental note about how strange Bella was acting around him that day. Although she blushed on a regular basis, it seemed to be happening more frequently today, specifically when she looked at him. She wasn't avoiding him, per say, but her eyes certainly were. He had caught her in the past, glancing at him when she thought no one was looking, which he had reveled in, but today she was barely making eye contact when she spoke to him. Things had been going well according to plan, but Bella's bizarre behavior was throwing him off today.

"Bella," He heard Jasper say, his ears perking up at the mention of her name, "Do you think we could go out today? I know you've been busy, but I could use a trip to Target. I need to get a few things"

"Um, yeah," Bella said, sounding hurried, as if she were racking her brain, "I think that should be possible, but don't quote me on that. I could totally be misjudging the day. I will do my best to get to taking you out"

Wait. Was he hearing right? Bella could take people out on trips? He had something to add to his To-Do list and today was turning out to be much more interesting than he had expected.

Edward continued to blend in during the day, flying under the radar, watching what was going on. He saw a flustered looking Bella approach Jasper, share something with him, and nod her head positively, dangling keys in her hand. Jasper briefly went into his room and appeared again and they left off the unit. Edward calculated his time, got up, and pretended to look around. He finally sat back down, next to Emmet.

"Hey Emmet," he said, trying to sound curious but not overly interested, "Do you know where Jasper is? I was hoping he'd play chess with me"

"Oh, he went out with Bella. They were going to Target I think," Emmet, responded, only half paying attention.

Edward had made a good choice talking to him.

"I didn't know that Bella took people out on trips," he commented casually, "Can anyone go?"

"Uh yeah," Emmet answered again, his eyes on the TV, where a ball game was on, "If you have the right privilege, and there's a specific reason you need to go out. They do trips to get coffee or go to the bookstore or something sometimes on the weekend too"

"Okay, cool thanks," Edward nodded, scheming again

"You'll get your privileges soon man," Emmet said, turning his attention to Edward when a commercial came on, "You're already doing better right?"

"I guess," Edward shrugged noncommittally, "I mean I am getting more stuff than I was"

"That's good," Emmet nodded, he paused a moment before he continued, "We're not really supposed to talk about it, but what are you in here for anyway? You don't seem as crazy as the rest of us. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I'm just curious"

Edward raised an eyebrow, "What are you in here for?"

Emmet guffawed, "I tried to attack a bear in a zoo. I was halfway over the fence when they stopped me. I told them that bear was looking at me funny and he wanted to wrestle, but they didn't listen. Now I know it's crazy, but I still wish I did it. I wish I hadn't been so stupid to tell them that I would just sneak in when the zoo was closed to do it though. That was my biggest mistake"

"Oh," Edward said simply, unsure of how to respond.

"A lot of people are in here for worse than that," Emmet continued, "But it's not my place to share other people's stories"

"Oh," he said again.

"So I'm guessing that means you're not going to share your story huh?"

"I wasn't going to at first, but I'm considering it," Edward answered, unwilling to look Emmet in the eyes.

"That's cool man. You do you. Like I said, I'm just curious," Emmet turned his attention back to the TV.

Edward sat for a calculated amount of time to ensure that it seemed as though he was not simply engaging Emmet for information, but that it had been a casual curiosity. He then went back to his room and got out his patient handbook again. He jotted coded notes to himself in his note book regarding levels of privilege and how he could spend more isolated time with Bella. He allowed himself to indulge in his fantasies for a brief moment, closing his eyes and imagining pushing her up against the wall and roughly kissing her, his hands tangled in her mahogany hair. There was a lot more to his fantasy than that, but he had work to do and needed to focus.

He heard her laugh from down the hall. Were they back so soon? Edward looked at the clock, clenching his fists when he saw the time. He had taken longer than he had thought. He couldn't hear the conversation from his room, with the expection of Emmet's booming voice. He must have been talking to Jasper, because he heard him say something about 'looking for you to play chess.' Edward stepped out into the hallway, and headed towards the library area as if he were unaware that others were talking about him. He sat down and picked up a book and skimmed it, pretending to be focused on it. After about ten minutes, Jasper showed up, just as he had anticipated.

"Hey, Emmet said you were interested in playing chess," Jasper offered, after clearing his throat to get Edward's attention.

"Yeah," he responded, looking up from his book, "If you're interested. It's been a dull day"

"I'm up for the challenge," Jasper nodded, "Did you want to finish your book or?"

Edward shrugged, and closed the book laying in on the shelf he had gotten it from, "Nah, it's not that great. We could play now"

"Alright," he agreed.

The pair walked to the other room, which was as most days, was empty. The sat at the table by the window. Edward was only half-heartedly invested in the game at best. He was calculating his next moves with Bella. Jasper didn't notice the distraction, and was quite pleased with himself when he won. Thankfully the timing worked well in Edward's favor. He went to the nurse's station and found Jessica. She had a soft spot for him anyway, and let him get away with things quite frequently.

Putting on his best dejected face he spoke to her in soft tones, "Jess, is Bella still here?"

She looked at him and frowned, "I'm not sure if she is or not, is everything okay?"

He looked down at the ground and maintained his soft, low voice, "I just wanted to talk to her. I'm just a little down"

"Oh!" she said with some surprise in her voice, "Tell you what, I'll double check if she's here or not and then go find her if she is. Make sure that she comes to see you right away"

"Okay," he said, slowly nodding his head.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No thank you"

"Alright honey, I'll get ahold of her right away. Do you want to wait here?"

"No," he shook his head, "I'm too embarrassed. Maybe I'll just go to the library"

"Okay," she nodded again like a bobble head, "I'll come find you either way"

"Thanks," he grumbled and shuffled away until he knew she wouldn't be able to see him any more.

He returned to his seat in the deserted library and picked back up the book he had used earlier. When he heard steps coming down the hall towards him, he focused on making his face look sad once more.

"Edward," Bella said, voice full of concern.

He let out a mental cheer that it was her and not that ditz Jessica. He looked up at her slowly and using his same downcast tone of voice said, "Bella, I'm so lonely"

 **Sorry for the wait all. I promise I'm not abandoning this story!**


	14. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

 **Sorry if I excited anyone, this is not an actual story update, just a life update. I'm dusting off my cobwebs and getting back into the flow of things. I currently plan on continuing with this story as I (at one point) had the whole thing planned out. I can't guarantee how frequently I'll post but I'm not giving up. I hope there's still some interest and thanks for sticking with me!**

 **~GabeClarkie**


	15. Chapter 14

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot.**

 _When he heard steps coming down the hall towards him, he focused on making his face look sad once more._

 _"Edward," Bella said, voice full of concern._

 _He let out a mental cheer that it was her and not that ditz Jessica. He looked up at her slowly and using his same downcast tone of voice said, "Bella, I'm so lonely"_

—-

Bella frowned, taking a seat next to Edward, turning so she could face him, crossing her legs and placing her hands in her lap.

"I'm very sorry to hear that Edward," she began, "But I confess, I'm also a bit confused. From what I've noticed you seem to be getting along well with people on the unit. I know you have at the very least been playing chess with Jasper, so I assume you have some sort of relationship with him…"

She trailed off, encouraging him to continue with her eyes.

Though he was smirking internally, externally Edward let out a heavy sigh and somehow managed to appear as though his eyes were welling up, "I don't know if I can say it right, but I'll try."

Bella nodded her head, encouragingly.

"I'm trying, I really am, I just," He cracked his voice for effect, "have a hard time connecting with other people. I don't feel like I can really talk to them. Everything is so fake"

It was easy to believe what he was saying, because to his credit, he wasn't really lying. The words came so naturally to him, "I don't know how to let people in. I feel like I just drive everyone away because they think I'm crazy."

Bella's face softened, "Edward, I'm sure that you don't drive everyone away, and I assure you not everyone thinks you're crazy. I can understand having a hard time trusting people and not wanting to be vulnerable, but I think you're making more of a connect than you think you are."

" You're the only one I can talk to," Edward said softly, his gaze focusing on the floor in front of him, "You're the only one I feel comfortable with. And even you think I'm crazy."

Bella reached over and put her hand on the arm of Edward's chair, "I don't know what gave you that impression, but I promise I don't think your crazy."

"Of course you do," he forced a sob, tilting his upper body towards his knees, "You work on a psych ward. You diagnose people with Schizophrenia. You make sure we take our pills. You think that there's something wrong with us, that we're not normal. Call our thoughts delusional, or paranoid, or say we're just hallucinating. Use whatever kind of labels you want, ultimately it all means the same thing, you think we're crazy. You think I'm crazy. But somehow you're still the only one I can turn to."

"Edward, I'm only help you. I want you to feel better. I want you to be able to take control of your life back," Bella said, leaning to try to and mirror Edward's positioning.

"I want to feel better," Edward muttered.

"That's all I want too," she responded, sitting back up.

Edward took a minute to smirk to himself, he couldn't keep his excitement in any more, but he quickly regained his sad composure and slowly turned his head towards Bella and allowing his eyes to well up again, a tear streaming down his cheek, "Please help me"

"Oh," Bella almost squeaked, taken by surprise by his reaction, "Of course," she said after quickly gathering her thoughts, "That's what I'm here for after all. What can I help you with?"

Edward sat up with carefully timed precision, maintaining his gaze on Bella's face the entire time, "I want to feel better. I want to be normal. I want to be loved and fit in with other people. I want to have a real life. Will you be on my side Bella?" He pleaded, "Will you help me be better?"

Bella smiled softly at him, and that was all the response he needed. He knew she was falling right into his trap. If only he knew how she'd been dreaming about him, he would have cried out in glee.

Bella was excited, she felt as though she was finally getting somewhere with Edward. She could feel his turn around coming. She made her way off the unit in a speedy pace. It was past her normal time to clock out and she wanted to end her day on a high note, besides which she was ready to go home.

After having a relaxing evening and a good night's sleep, Bella arrived at work the next morning with a smile on her face and a chipper attitude that could rival Alice's upbeat daily tempo.

"You're in an awfully good mood this morning," Nessie commented at the time clock, "Did you get laid?"

Bella snorted and the familiar warm tingle of a blush rushed to her cheeks, "Yeah right, and pigs are flying now. I barely have time to shower let alone date."

"Who said anything about dating? I only asked about getting laid," Nessie smirked and did a little hip wiggle.

The heat on Bella's face got warmer, " I'm not that kind of girl. Unless you count getting tangled up in my comforter and drooling on my pillow getting laid, then yeah, I totally got laid," she rolled her eyes, " Honestly, I just woke up on the right side of the bed this morning."

"Sure, sure," Nessie conceded, putting her non-coffee laden hand up, "Whatever you say Bella. I'm just glad to see you in a good mood whatever the cause. You guys have been so overworked."

"Thanks. It feels good, I'm just enjoying it while it lasts, Lord knows that I'll be back to pulling my hair out soon enough," Bella smiled as they parted ways, heading to their respective work spaces.

After morning rounds, Bella spoke with Carlisle, recounting her interaction with Edward the previous evening, and sharing her hope for his future improvement.

"Hmm, that does sound promising," Carlisle nodded, jotting down some notes quickly, "Let's just hope it's genuine. I think I'll order some lab work to check his medication levels, see if that's making an impact."

"Of course," Bella agreed,"I'll keep you posted with anything else that comes up"

When she walked onto the unit, Edward was waiting for her in the day hall. He jumped up out of his seat, as he noticed her approach. Bella had to bite her cheek to prevent herself from breaking out into a smile.

"I'd like to talk to you about our conversation from last night. That is if you have time," he added shyly.

"Of course. I have a meeting with Alice to prepare for our group in a bit, but I certainly have time for you right now."

"Well, I want to thank you first and foremost, but I also want to apologize. I'm so embarrassed by my behavior"

Bella waved her hand, "There is nothing for you to be embarrassed by. No worries. And you're welcome, but all I did was listen."

"You're too modest. It was more than that. You made me feel comfortable when I was feeling particularly vulnerable. And now I'm feeling more, I don't know, hopeful I guess."

"That's great news!" Bella beamed, " And you're the modest one. It takes a lot of guts to ask for help, and you're the only one who can work towards change. I'm just here to support you."

"Thank you," Edward said softly. He opened his mouth to speak again, but someone down the hall started calling Bella's name, "You better go and see what they need. I can talk to you later."

"Later," Bella nodded before making a move to head down the hallway. When she peeked at him over her shoulder as she made her retreat, she couldn't help but smile to herself. Her reaction only further cemented Edward's sense of self satisfaction.

—-

 **Okay, not the longest update, but an actual update! Let me know what you think :)**


	16. Chapter 15

**I do not own any of these characters, the only thing that's mine is the plot.**

Edward continued to sit in the day hall after Bella left him. His thoughts were racing, but to the outside work he looked to be zoned out staring out the window. His plan was falling into place nicely. Bella felt a connection to him, and he was certain that, as he had hoped, his interactions with her were being considered a "breakthrough".

He mentally reviewed his plan:

Develop a connection with Bella- make her feel bad for him and driven to help him- check

Pretend to be dependent on Bella and led her to believe that without her he would be falling apart- partial check

This step was particularly easy as Edward sincerely did not want to interact with anyone besides Bella. He knew he was obsessed. Thoughts of her were constantly swirling around his head, fueling his calculated actions making them seem genuine. Edward got the sense that he was in her head too, though likely not to the same extent. He sighed both internally and externally, this whole thing would be much easier if he could just read her mind, but he even knew the very idea was preposterous. Edward liked to imagine that she had sexual thoughts about him, just as he had of her. He could so vividly picture her naked body trembling in front of him, waiting for his touch, bound to the bed posts, and writing in pleasure as he forcefully entered her, fucking her as roughly as he pleased. Edward pretended, and if he were being particularly honest with himself, hoped that Bella had similar thoughts, and that her arousal would be increased by the taboo nature of the idea of their relationship. Of course in this scenario, she still believed that she had any semblance of control of the situation.

Edward shook his head, he was getting distracted. He needed to be more disciplined than that, and could not afford to allow his animalistic instincts to take over. Though he was still pleased by Bella's reaction to seeing him in a towel. 'No! Focus!' he mentally berated himself, putting his mental energy back into reviewing his plan.

Begin acting as though Bella's "help" is working and that he is making progress and is less reliant on her (as if anyone else would satiate his desires)- partial check

Earn privileges/charm Bella- make her feel needed again

If all goes according to plan, Bella will start 'bending' the rules for him- get access to Bella one on one off the hospital grounds (if Jasper can get her to take him to Target, Edward will surely get some alone time with her)

After successful trips out, seduce Bella

If successful, it will be easy to convince Bella (and likely everyone else) that he is well enough to leave

Get Bella to give up any ethical senses in relation to their relationship, and she will be yours forever and you will no longer have to put up with the charade that is this godforsaken hospital (including all of the repulsive food you've been forced to choke down)

Of course there were intricacies within the plan itself, and smaller plans that stem off each of those plan points in order to make them successful, but overall he was pleased with the basic idea and felt that so far it was going well. If only he had know how often Bella thought of him, and the dreams that she was having he would have been all too pleased.

When one of the nurses came to get him, Edward was more than willing to get his bloodwork done to check his medication levels, after all, he wanted to be the model patient. The nurse prattled at him mindlessly and Edward just smiled as if he was remotely interested in what she was saying, or even listening for that matter. He muttered a soft, "Thank you" when she informed him that he was all set, and made his way to the program area to see when Bella's group would be starting.

He found himself with 10 minutes to kill, so he made his way to the library, and picked a dusty copy of 'The Count of Monte Cristo' off the shelf and propped himself up on the windowsill. The book likely had not been read in several years. There were a surprising amount of classics amidst the trashy romance novels and predictable mysteries. Edward doubted that any of the other patients read anything of any quality or substance, hence the dust, but was grateful nevertheless to whomever donated the more impressive pieces of literature.

He must have been more wrapped up in the reading than he realized and lost track of time because before he knew it there was a gentle knock on the door frame, and Bella was standing before him, the sunlight from the window making her glow like an angel. Edward noticed bits of red amongst her chocolate locks when the light hit it just so.

"Edward," she said with a hint of hopefulness in her voice, "Would you like to come to group? We're about to start" She smiled at him.

Edward lazily straightened up, closing his book and responded nonchalantly, "Sure" and followed her down the hall.

He intentionally kept his pace slowly than he normally would to stay just behind Bella. He wanted to see where she was going to sit so that he could sit directly next to her, which he gratefully was able to do. She flipped her hair and began introducing the group topic for the day, but Edward was too intoxicated by her scent to pay attention to anything that was coming out of her mouth. From his position, he was able to steal glances at her neck and her exposed gossamer skin in the guise of paying attention to what she was saying. He gripped the book on his lap more tightly than necessary to help himself maintain control, as he couldn't help but imagine what a drop of fresh blood trailing down her pale flesh would look like. The mere thought was beyond erotic and caused Edward to lose focus.

Once Edward was able to bring himself back to the present, he remembered this was the 'Dealing With Feelings' group, and after a snarky mental comment on how ridiculous name of the group was, he was able to get the general idea of what the group members were talking about.

"I hate being here," James said, with anger evident in his tone, "It's so fucking depressing. I'm a goddamn adult I should be able to make decisions for myself, and not have people telling me when I can eat and when I can go outside, and checking on me every five fucking minutes. I get that I'm fucking crazy or whatever and so I need to be locked up, and yeah I've done some messed up shit, but I just can't deal with not being able to live my life. I mean most of the people that work here aren't assholes, and I'm grateful for that, but I just feel like I get treated like a child"

"I know what you mean," Edward said before anyone else could comment, "I don't hate being here as much as I did when I first got here, and I'm realizing it's not as bad as I first thought. It sure as hell beats being in jail. There's definitely things I would change if I could, but it's my own fault I'm here in the first place, and I know that there are people here that legitimately care and want to help me. I just try to remind myself of that everytime I get down on the fact that I feel like I'm being babysat. I just try not to let the anger take over me, because when it does that's when I have the worst time."

"Thank you both for sharing," Bella said, shooting a thankful glance in Edward's direction, "And I think you bring up a good point Edward. Feeling negative feelings is just going to happen. Yes, it's not the most fun part of life, but you can still let yourself feel things without your emotions, whether they be positive or negative, controlling everything that you do. Using the appropriate skills to manage your emotions is key. It's not about stopping yourself from feeling, it's about being able to feel without being overwhelmed."

"Like wise-mind," Rosalie chimed,

"Yes, exactly," Bella nodded, and Edward tune out of the rest of the group again, plotting out his next moves for the rest of the day.

When group ended, Bella stopped Edward from leaving when he stood up.

"Edward, I wanted to thank you for coming to group today and sharing the way that you do. I'm impressed by how you expressed yourself and handled the situation"

"Thank you," Edward said, looking at Bella, and quickly looking down and kicking his shoe against the floor, "But I think I need a break now. I'm going to spend some time in my room."

Bella nodded and watched him walk off until Alice approached her from the other side of the hall. Edward was tempted to stay back and hide himself to eavesdrop on their conversation, but thought better of it. Bella would come see him later that afternoon to check on her pouting patient. She of course would feel the need to fix him, to make him happy, and Edward was more than willing to let her feel like she'd done so. He was after all somewhere between part 2 and part 3 of his plan to possess Bella as his own. He needed to still be slightly needy but improving.

 **So what do you think? We're finally getting a decent glimpse into Edward's head. He's manipulative for sure, but is he actually a vampire?**


End file.
